UK’s no.1 travel agent prioritises employee development with three new skills programmes

Furthering its commitment to invest in and retain talent, Barrhead Travel is set to launch a new Development Academy this autumn aimed at future leaders of the highly successful UK-wide travel agency.

The news follows a period of ongoing growth, as the group enjoyed its best trading year in 2023 and continues to break sales records every month in 2024.

Created in-house by the Barrhead Travel training team, the Development Academy offers three distinctive courses: The Leadership Academy – for senior leaders of the future; Aspiring Leaders Academy – for those eager to pursue managerial positions within two years; and a Mentoring Academy – for those interested in becoming a formal mentor to new-starts and apprentices within the business.

The three courses are comprehensive 12-month programmes that will be delivered with a blend of classroom-style coaching as well as supporting resources through podcasts, videos and articles.

The programmes, each tailored to different levels of career stage, will cover themes like self-awareness and motivation, communication, teambuilding, coaching and mentoring, as well as strategic thinking and decision making.

The travel firm has made a number of investments in its people and retail network this year. A brand-new uniform was rolled out during Quarter 1 for its customer facing positions. Vibrant, energetic and designed to encourage employee individuality, the new 25-piece collection will see Barrhead Travel’s team through all seasons with a mix-and-match of casual and formalwear.

The group has also been investing in its existing high street and shopping centre locations, completing a £250,000 refurbishment on four of its longstanding Scottish stores including Newton Mearns, The Gyle, Glasgow Forge and Braehead.

Jacqueline Dobson, President at Barrhead Travel said: “At Barrhead Travel, our people always come first; continually investing in their skills and development is the key to our business success.

“The Barrhead Travel Development Academy is a completely bespoke programme which will focus on enhancing the skills of our existing leaders as well as nurturing our future leaders of tomorrow.

“It is also designed to inspire both existing and prospective employees to join our growing team as we look recruit for new positions – which include our next apprenticeship intake.

“Skills and learning are important, but we’re also passionate about fostering a culture of inclusivity, wellbeing and transparency.

“We have a responsibility to create an environment that sets everyone up for success so we’ve been investing in expanding our wellbeing programmes such as our Mental Health First Aiders and our Menopause Champions.”

For those either looking to progress, or start their career in the travel industry, it has never been a more exciting time to join Barrhead Travel. As well access to the unrivalled training and development programmes, employees also get to enjoy generous discounts on holidays and high-street retailers, as well as uncapped earning potential.

Find out more about careers with Barrhead Travel by visiting: https://careers.barrheadtravel.co.uk/